It is amazing how many people who have been Christians for years,
have not completely read through the Bible. They've read portions of it — the Gospels, Psalms, Acts, some of Paul's
Epistles — but there are many parts that they've never touched. This is certainly understandable. The Bible can
be a rather intimidating book. After all, it has hundreds of pages — 1,189 chapters; 31,101 verses; more than
750,000 words. That's enough to make anyone think twice. And although Bible scholars tell us that the Bible can be read
in just 70 hours, that still seems like a lot of time. Besides, let's face it — some portions of the Bible
can be really slow going and, for some people, just plain boring.

There is, however, a lot to be gained by reading it completely. You get much more of a sense of how the various parts
fit together into a complete story of how God has revealed himself to us. By committing yourself to just
15 minutes a day, you can read through the entire Bible in a year. That's not too hard — most
people can devote a quarter-hour to Bible reading every day. (After all, we're told we spend an average of 4 hours
a day in front of the television.) And by doing this in 15-minute chunks, if you miss a day, it's easy to get
caught up.

If you are interested in doing this, here are a couple of suggestions:

Do your Bible reading at the same time each day. For most of us, this
means either the first thing in the morning, or just before bed at night. For others it may be at lunchtime.
Makes no difference as long as you have quiet time alone. If you pick a time where you are
too tired or too distracted, this will never work. So give serious thought to when and where.

Pick a Bible version that is easy to read. We are not doing a
deep word-by-word study of the Bible. If you really feel that the King James Version is the only valid English
Bible, then by all means use it. Otherwise, find a version that is easier to read and understand —
the New International Reader's Version, The Message,
even the Living Bible. While some of these versions may not be appropriate
for intense Bible study, they do make for enjoyable reading. And that will help keep you on track.

Don't expect this to be easy. For some people it is. But if you're like
most of us, there are dozens of things contending for your time. There'll be times when you'll get behind, and
it will take commitment to get caught up. But remember, very few important things in
life are easy. The satisfaction and rewards of reading the entire Bible are well worth effort.

There are many different daily-Bible-reading schemes. The one below, while not my favorite, is easy to follow.
And if you'll commit yourself to it, we can guarantee that you'll gain a new-found appreciation for God's Word.
Simply select the date on which you want to start, and print the results. If you decide to do this, we'd be happy to
hear about your progress.